STW High Tech Materials project for Pei

Within the roadmap “High Tech Materials”, the Technology Foundation STW has granted the PhD research project “Cracking Behavior and Formability of ZnAlMg Coatings”, led by Prof. Yutao Pei of the Engineering and Technology institute Groningen (ENTEG).

The research project “Cracking Behavior and Formability of ZnAlMg Coatings” is driven by the desire of the steel industry and its countless end-users to improve the formability of novel ZnAlMg coating coated steels. These are among the most promising steels in terms of their corrosion resistance and high strength; however their widespread application is limited by formability issues. This project will remove these barriers by providing an in-depth understanding of how the cracking behavior of ZnAlMg coatings is influenced by the hot-dip galvanization process, the chemical composition and the microstructure of the coatings. Its goal is to optimize the coating structure design and tailor alloying composition to deliver cracking-resistant microstructure.

The grant of 305k€ was awarded last week; nationwide only three projects have been granted within the STW HTM2016 call.